Hat forming machine



Dec. 22, 1936. I KlWAD 2,065,077

HAT FORMING MACHINE Filed April 11, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l /0 30 I 3 O 7 a? 2. f I 1 O 4 J g? RD INVENTOR.

1 /f 7 j TTORNEYS.

Dec. 22, I936.

I. KIWAD HAT FORMING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 11, 1936 INVENTOR.

[s/a'ore K/wad .JZMMLJ A TTORXEYS.

Patented Dec. 22,- 1936 ii STATES HAT FORMING MACHINE Isidore Kiwad,

Application April 11,

6 Claims.

The invention relates to machines and dies for forming hats and similar articles. It has for its main object to provide a device which will effect a great saving in labor, time and material.

Another object is to provide a device which is easy to manipulate and which eliminates all danger of the blanks being misplaced or being dislodged during the operation of forming. Another object is to provide a device in which dies or molds of various sizes and shapes may be used and in which such dies or molds may be changed with a minimum expenditure of time and labor.

A further object is to provide a device which will minimize the danger of tearing or rupturing the blanks during forming, even where blanks of inferior or easily ruptured material is used, or when extremely difiicult shapes are to be formed. Additional objects are to provide a machine of strong and simple construction, which has no parts easily broken or apt to get out of order, which may be adjusted to awide range of work, and which can be manufactured at a relatively low cost.

These and various other objects and advantages will be readily understood from the following description and from the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which, however, modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the drawings Fig. l is a side elevation of the machine with certain parts omitted,

Fig. 2 is a front elevation,

Fig. 3 is a top View,

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are diagrammatic views of the dies illustrating their operations,

Fig. 7 is a fragmental plan view showing some of the feeding fingers,

Figs. 8 and 9 are side views of the fingers showing them in different positions,

Fig. 10 is a fragmental plan view showing a modification of the fingers, and

Fig. 11 is a side view of one of the fingers shown in Fig. 10.

The machine may be described as comprising a frame structure from the upper end of which a column is depending. On this column the male part of the die is slidingly mounted as is also a ring, having a plurality of feeding fingers. The female part of the die is mounted on a table which is, in turn, slidingly mounted on the frame. The ring which supports the feeding fingers is operated by a foot lever which can be locked in place, while the male part of the die is operated. by a lever pivotally mounted on the frame.

Referring now to the drawings, the frame is shown at I0, the depending column at H, the table at I2, the foot pedal at l3, and the operat- Brooklyn, N. Y.

1936, Serial No. 73,821

ing lever at Id. The female part of the die |5, which in this case is-in the form of an annular ring is inserted in an opening in the table and may be accurately adjusted as to height, by means of the screws l6. Another ring I! fits over the die part I5. This ring is provided with a nest HA, which holds the blank to be shaped, and with an inwardly and downwardly extending annular face la. The die i5 is heated in the usual manner preferably by an electric coil l9 to which current is fed by a wire 2|]. The table l2 may be raised and lowered on the frame and clamped in place by means of the handle 2|.

The male part of the die 22 is provided with two upwardly extending rods 23 and 24 and these rods are secured, by means of nuts, to a cross piece 25 which has a bifurcated member 26, in which the operating rod I l engages. The rods 23 and 24 pass through openings formed in the ring 27 on which the feeding fingers are mounted. These feeding fingers 28 are mounted in slots 29; their construction will be explained later.

A lever 30 is mounted on the frame. as shown at 3|. The front end of this lever is provided with studs 32 which engage in slots 33 formed in the ring 21. This lever is operated from the foot pedal by means of a rod 34. To adjust the length of this rod, a turn buckle 35 is employed and to return the lever 30, the ring 21, and the foot pedal to its normal position, a spring 36 is mounted on the rod. The ends of this spring abut against a bracket 3'! which is secured to the frame and a collar 38 which is secured on the rod. A pair of tension springs 39 are secured to a pin 40 inserted in the rear end of the operating lever. These springs return the operating lever to its normal position and lift the die part 22.

The feeding fingers 28, which are shown in detail in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, each consist of a rod which is rounded at its lower end 4|, threaded at its upper end and provided with a knurled nut 42. A collar 43 is rigidly secured to a rod, while another collar 44 is free to slide on the rod. A compression spring 45 is interposed between the nut 42 and the collar 44. The tension of this spring may be regulated by the nut 42. As previously said, the sliding fingers are preferably mounted in slots 29 which are formed in the ring 21 so that the fingers may be moved back and forth in the slots to accommodate various sizes of hat blanks. A plurality of circumferential grooves 46 are preferably formed in the bottom of the flange of the ring 21 and the collar 45 is preferably formed with an angular face at its upper side, as plainly illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9.

A modification of the feeding fingers, is shown in Figs. 10 and 11. In this case a plurality of slots 47 are milled in the ring 21 and in these slots the fingers 48 are mounted on a wire 49 which is secured in a groove 50, turned around the edge of the ring 29. The fingers are held in their upright position by means of a tension spring 5| which is secured between the top of the finger and a spring pin 52 which is inserted in the ring 21. Normally the finger is held against the rear 53 of the groove, but is free to move in the direction indicated by the arrow 54 owing to the angular cut 55 provided in the lower side of the rear of the slots 41.

The machine operates in the following manner: A blank 56, of felt or other suitable material, is placed over the lower die part l5. This blank may either be cut to size, so as to fit in the nest, or may be left square. After the blank is in place the pedal I3 is depressed. This lowers the ring 21 and causes the fingers 28 to engage the blank. As the fingers are forced down, the inclined face H5 in the die part [5 causes their lower ends to be forced inwardly towards each other, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. This movement of the fingers, which, as stated, engage the blank, causes the material of the blank to be puckered or crowded to the center until it assumes the shape approximately indicated in Fig. 5.

The hook 51 is now slipped over the pedal lever so as to hold the fingers in engagement with the edge of the blank while the male part 22 of the die is lowered. This is done by pressing down the lever M. The blank is formed into shape by the upper and lower die in the regular manner. When the pressure on the operating lever is released, the lever as well as the male die are returned to their inoperative positions by the springs 39. The pedal 13 and the ring 21 are likewise restored to their inoperative positions by the spring 36 when the hook 51 is released from the pedal lever. The blanks may, of course, be moistened, sized or otherwise suitably prepared before being formed.

While a very simple set of dies has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that dies of all the various types may be employed. In like manner blanks of various shapes and sizes may be used by adjusting the fingers in the slots 29, when such slots are used in the ring 21. It is evident that, by puckering the blanks, the danger of rupturing or stretching them so as to produce thin, weakened spots, is greatly reduced, no matter what materials are used. It is also possible to draw the blanks into deeper and far more difficult shapes, even with materials difficult to form.

In some instances and on certain materials it is advisable to maintain the fingers in contact with the blank until completely formed, as for example in forming hats with wide brims, and then to trim the formed hat. In other instances the blank may be withdrawn from the fingers just as soon as firmly engaged between the die members. While I have shown and described the device for operation on blanks for making hats, it is evident that it may be used for forming any other article to which it may be adapted.

Having described the invention and its objects, what I claim as new and wish to protect by Letters Patent is:-

1. In combination with a device of the class described having a frame structure, an upper die member, a lower die member, and means for actuating said die members; a ring, having an inwardly and downwardly slanting face, associated with one of said die members; a flanged member, having a plurality of tiltable feeding fingers for engaging the blanks to be formed, associated with the other die member; said fingers engaged in radial slots formed in the said flanged member; and means for actuating said flanged member.

2. In combination with a device of the class described having a frame structure, an upper die member, a lower die member, and means for actuating said die members; a ring, having an inwardly and downwardly slanting face, associated with one of said die members; a flanged member, having a plurality of spring-actuated and tiltable feeding fingers for engaging the blanks to be formed, associated with the other die member; said fingers engaged in radial slots formed in the said flanged member; and means for actuating said flanged member.

3. In combination with a device of the class described having a frame structure, an upper die member, a lower die member, and means for actuating said die members; a ring, having an inwardly and downwardly slanting face, associated with one of said die members; a flanged member, having a plurality of spring-actuated and tiltable feeding fingers for engaging the blanks to be formed, associated with the other die member; said fingers engaged in radial slots formed in the said flanged member; and means for actuating said flanged member; and means for adjusting said feeding fingers to various positions on the flanged member.

4. In a set of dies of the class described; a

.male die and a female die; a ring, having an inwardly and downwardly slanting face, secured to one of said dies; a flanged member slidingly mounted in relation to the other die; a plurality of feeding fingers tiltably mounted in radial slots formed on said flanged member and adapted to engage and pucker the blanks to be formed; and means for raising and lowering said flanged member.

5. In a set of dies of the class described; a male die and a female die; a ring, having an inwardly and downwardly slanting face, secured to one of said dies; a flanged member slidingly mounted in relation to the other die; a plurality of feeding fingers tiltably mounted in radial slots formed on said flanged member and adapted to engage the blanks to be formed; means for raising and lowering said flanged member; and means for changing the positions of the feeding fingers on the flanged member.

6. In a set of dies of the class described; a frame structure; a male die and a female die; a ring, having an inwardly and downwardly slanting face, secured to one of said dies; a flanged member slidingly mounted on the frame structure and encasing the male die; a plurality of feeding fingers tiltably mounted in radial slots formed on said flanged member and adapted to engage and pucker the blanks to be formed and to hold it while being formed; means for raising and lowering said flanged member; and means for actuating the die members.

ISDDORE KIWAD. 

